[BC] David Lawrence, Online Tonight, and Salem... was iPod and storage

[Sherrod Munday]

On Thursday 01 December 2005 18:56, David Lawrence <david at onlinetonight.com> 
wrote:
> On 12/1/05 10:04 AM, one Sherrod Munday <smunday at srnradio.com> wrote:
>  > Nah...  I'm guessing that he's recording and playing back four audio
>  > sources into and out of an automation system for an low-budget station.
>  >
>  > Hey -- whatever it takes these days to get something on the air, right?
>
> Hopefully, you're joking, Sherrod. 

I absolutely was.  That's why I had the smiley at the end of the message. :-)

> I have a state-of-the-art network radio 
> production facility here in Los Angeles, and used to be carried at night by
> your network. 

We indeed did carry your show on the ABC "DGNNet" channel after Salem acquired 
it a number of years ago.

> Your production team came here to see what all the fuss was 
> over iMediaTouch's different automation modules (we use them all and love
> them).

I'm not doubting you had a visit, but I'm sorry that I don't know anything 
about that visit.  Each Salem facility has its own production staff, but I 
don't recall anyone else from SRN travelling anywhere to review automation 
systems (it is my responsibility to work with automation systems).  As I have 
not had opportunity to see it in operation, I am actually not familiar with 
iMediaTouch's system so I have not lauded or disparaged it.

> My shows are the only shows heard on both XM and Sirius *and* AM/FM *and*
> podcast

Your show is indeed widely available; you've done a good job of distributing 
it.  Your experience with technology certainly allows you to be on the 
forefront of getting your program to listeners.

As an interesting side note, a talk show I personally listen to, "Dave 
Ramsey" (on the ABC Starguide III carrier as the right side of the 
"DGNNet/Ramsey" channel; also distributed on the CRC Unity 4000 carrier on 
the "CRB" channel), touts itself as having affiliates on AM and FM, and his 
show is also carried on XM and Sirius, and he podcasts his own content.  

For the record, Ramsey is *not* part of Salem, although he is aired on a 
number of the Salem stations.  I've met Dave a couple of times, agree with 
his perspectives, and I just personally like his show.

> and you and I spoke every week when you were helping to get your people to
> understand FTPing the spots for the show up onto your Salem servers. So
> soon they forget. :)

I'm not assigning the best of brilliance to certain (some now former) Salem 
employees when it came to FTP, encoding audio content, etc.   That's why 
*you* were the host of the show, and not our staff.  <Grin>

> So, no. I'm not trying to source broadcast content with iPods.

It was a little humor for those of us radio engineers on the forum that are 
always being directed to put stuff on the air without any budget, using 
whatever (often consumer) gear is necessary to do the job.  It was not 
intended at all to be a "slam" on you or your show.

On Friday 02 December 2005 00:33, david at onlinetonight.com wrote:
> On 12/1/05 5:27 PM, one Al Stewart <stewarta at xplornet.com> wrote:
>
>  > C'mon David ... everyone was just having a little fun.
>
> Really? I'm not so sure. I've known Sherrod and his team at Salem for a
> long time. I know the rest of you started joking about it, but when I
> re-read his post, I came to the same conclusion I did the first time. All
> of the things they are doing with 24/7 streaming, podcasting etc were
> things I proposed two years ago. So, no. I don't think I'll be "c'mon-ing".

I didn't mean to cause any strife with my quip.  Again, I wasn't trying to 
slam you or your show -- it was a quip intended for the engineering types 
working at low-budget stations.

And briefly, as to "all of the things they are doing with 24/7 streaming, 
podcasting" etc.:

You are correct.  You were already doing much of that a couple of years ago 
(kudos to you for being on the leading edge!!!) and Salem was *not* 
interested in pursuing it at that time (we chose to take a more conservative 
approach).  The managerial interest level in that type of technology here is 
*still* cautious and conservative -- you'll find that SRN is actually *not* 
doing podcasts (that I know of, anyway) for any of its shows, and I can only 
think of one show that is streamed (by another third-party company).  

Again, I am sorry that you took offense at my post.  I didn't mean to start a 
flame war or personally attack you or your show.  Please accept my apologies 
for making comments that were not more sensitive and respectful to you and 
what you do for a living.
-- 
Sherrod Munday <smunday at srnradio.com>
Technical Director
Salem Radio Network    (972) 831-1920